Black Guns Matter: One Man’s Movement to Arm Black Americans [Video]

Young activist takes Second Amendment education into his own hands

By: Resa Willis

With great liberty comes great responsibility. Under a government whose elitist rhetoric regards law-abiding citizens as child-like creatures in need of structured guidance, Second Amendment rights are again at the forefront of this struggle. The recent mass shooting in Orlando spurned swift action to restrict the rights of armed citizens, but it also inspired gun range owners to empower the LBGT community with firearms education and advocacy.

Now another minority group has an advocate. The Black Guns Matter movement, led by 29-year-old Philadelphia rapper and black activist Maj Toure, aims to not only encourage urban black populations to exercise their Second Amendment rights, but to educate the public on gun rights. Toure grew up in Philadelphia as a witness to the gun violence plaguing the city, but chose to become a legal, educated gun owner and NRA member.

The young activist understands firsthand the stigma associated with black urban populations and firearms. His aim: teach conflict resolution and educate on firearm safety in the hopes of cutting down on murders in Philadelphia.

In order to combat the current perceptions, Toure tells philly.com,

“The stigma, especially in an urban environment like Philly, is if you have a gun, you’re either law enforcement or the bad guy,” Toure said when we talked recently. “What we’re trying to do is say that just because you have a gun doesn’t make you the bad guy. But while you have your firearm, which you have the right to have, you have to be a responsible, card-carrying good guy.”

The outreach program reinforces to the black community that the Constitution applies to them just as it does to any other citizen and aims to reverse a historical trend of disarming blacks.

The Black Guns Matter founder asserts that there is not a white or black gun culture. Instead, he counters this by saying, “I think there’s an informed gun culture, and an ignorant gun culture.” Toure’s mission is to shift the paradigm from ignorant to informed, in the hopes of conflicts resulting in less violence. He explains his mission and vision in this powerful video below.

While critics call for confiscation of firearms, Toure understands the reality of his hometown, adamant that increased legal firearms owned by educated citizens is the key to sustaining a safer city. This isn’t just a lesson for minorities. This is a lesson for Americans.